September 2011 Specials – The Little Shop of Charms

In September we’ll experience an equinox when night and day are of equal length.  In the northern hemisphere it’s the autumn equinox and the days will quickly start to shorten as we head towards winter.  In the southern hemisphere it’s the spring or vernal equinox and the energy quickens to bring spring.  Wherever you are the equinox signals a change of direction and a change of energy.  Why not use this time to look at changes you want to make in your life and yourself?  The Specials this month are designed to help you do that.

 

Selkie for Transformation

£9.30 £8.37

Selkie guides the wearer through times of change for transformation bringing new opportunities.

 

Tao Stones

£6.49  £5.84

Chinese meditations for everyday.Open the door to the way of the Tao, source of guidance and inspiration for the Chinese for millenia. Take two stones, match them to the combination shown in the book, and refer to your reading. You will receive a proverb, poem and meditation, plus a message for your day.

The Tao box contains 2 sets of 8 oval meditation stones with calligraphy, brocade drawstring bag and a 160-page illustrated book of readings.

 

Being Your Potential 6 CD Audio Program

£105.01  £94.51

Imagine a life free of limitations.What type of relationships would you have?
How would it transform your health?  What type of financial success would you achieve?In this six disc audio program, Joseph Clough will show you how to discover the secrets of success in every area of your life.
Through these mind technologies you will be able to transform your life to a level you have only dreamed of.CD 1: Joseph teaches you how to take back control of your life. Learn how you can begin to create the life you want whilst feeling true gratitude for ‘Now’.CD 2: Joseph explains how our unconscious mind works and how you can harness its full power. Discover how thoughts actualize your outcomes and how paying attention to your feelings creates ‘the power of focus’.

CD 3: Get ready to really believe in your goals as Joseph teaches you the creative process to achieve your dreams. Find out how you can feel good about yourself by refusing to ‘buy into’ other peoples limitations. You’ll also learn how to train your internal state at will as you live by ‘inspired action’.

CD 4: Allow Joseph to show you how to finally clear your mental blocks and limitations. Release old negative emotions and let yourself be free of the past so you can clearly attract your future.

CD 5: Joseph teaches you the powerful ‘Principles of Success’. You’ll discover how to map out your life so that you ‘know’ it will happen and gain tips to reinforce your vision and achieve your true potential.

CD 6: Track 1: Amazing Relationships Hypnosis Section Track 2: Perfect Health Hypnosis Section Track 3: Financial Abundance Hypnosis Section Track 4: General Wellbeing Manifestation Section

Joseph Clough is an international motivational trainer and coach whose goal in life is to help each person achieve their dreams.
He will share with you his powerful and proven techniques, allowing you to make effective changes in your life and to take control in creating the results you desire.

Are you ready to fulfill your potential?

Eclipse for Beneficial Change

£7.00  £6.30

The subtle juxtaposition of the moon and sun in Eclipse represents Beneficial Change
Size: 45 x 35mm / 2″ x 1½”

 

 

Empower Yourself Hypnosis CDs

£27.06  £23.00

Your mind is extremely powerful and, if you get your thinking right, it becomes so much easier to reach your goals, be healthy, happy and achieve the success you deserve.  Our range of Empower Yourself Hypnosis CDs are all designed to address a specific issue:

• Stop smoking
• Overcome social phobias and shyness
• Overcome anxiety
• Get over your ex partner
• Overcome depression
• Stop binge drinking
• Overcome jealousy
• Overcome wedding day nerves
• Reduce high blood pressure
• Stop bulimia
• overcome anorexia
• Overcome chronic fatigue
• Acquire gym motivation
• Improve football performance
• Overcome arachnophobia (fear of spiders)
• Overcome obsessive compulsive behaviour
• Overcome gambling addictions

Isn’t it time you finally dealt with the issues in your life and moved forward?

 

 

I Ching astrology – part 5

This is the final part of the I Ching astrology series of articles.  You may want to review the previous articles in the series:

Energy cycles – the Feng Shui way

I Ching astrology – part 1

I Ching astrology – part 2

I Ching astrology – part 3

I Ching astrology – part 4

So far, we’ve looked at the trigrams which are the fundamental energy building blocks of our world and the cycles that they go through.  We’ve also applied these building blocks to part of ourselves, based on our date of birth.  In I Ching astrology – part 1 we looked at your birth star which is your inherent energy.  In I Ching astrology – part 2 we looked at your inner star which reveals your deeper nature and emotions.  In I Ching astrology – part 3 we looked at your outer star which reveals other people’s perceptions of you, face you show to the world and your aspirations. And in the last article, I Ching astrology – part 4 we learnt how to read the three stars and put them in context with each other.

This final article expands on what we can do with our three stars because it’s not just a static picture of what our energy is like.  Energy is constantly moving and our environment will change energetically which will affect all of us.  In addition, when our three stars bump into another three stars (somebody else) they interact in a unique way.  So let’s have a look at relationships first.

Remember this table from the last article:

1 Water	Middle son
2 Earth	Mother
3 Thunder	Eldest son
4 Wind	Eldest daughter
5 Tai Chi	Centre
6 Heaven	Father
7 Lake	Youngest daughter
8 Mountain	Youngest son
9 Fire	Middle daughter

 

For relationship analysis one of the key things we can look at is the family member that is attributed to each star.  Let’s take the recently married Duke and Duchess of Cambridge – William and Kate.  William is a 9/1/4 (21^st June 1982).  Kate is a 1/6/9 (9^th January 1982).

On the face of it Kate, who’s outer star is a 9 plays the role of middle daughter, seems a little subservient to William who’s outer star is 4 or eldest daughter.  In a family the middle daughter may look up to her big sister and support her.

Inherently, William’s 9 birth star can relate to Kate’s 9 outer star but her 1 birth star, or middle son, will have her acting as a peacekeeper and also perhaps moderating William’s behaviour.  1 and 9 can clash too so this could be a feisty relationship at times.  However, passion is related to the inner stars and William’s 1 inner star once again relates to Kate’s 1 birth star but her inner star of 6, or father, puts her firmly in charge.  William will have a deep respect for Kate and her 1 inherent energy will ensure that she continues to charm during her public duties.

There are never any right or wrong energy combinations and relationships.  We’re all just different which is what makes life so exciting.

Now let’s look at the time aspect.  Each year, month, day and even hour relates to a specific star.  When that star is ruling our own stars will be affected.  In this way we can forecast the best days for romance, for money dealings, for getting married, for travelling, for just about anything.  We can also forecast the best days to not do anything important: a ‘Go Fishing’ day as the Chinese put it.

This is the final part of your I Ching astrology.  Starting from the 1^st September 2011 I shall produce a monthly forecast for each star here.  Once you know your birth star you can subscribe to it and see what the month ahead can bring you.

Jackie Notman is a copywriter, feng shui consultant and e-commerce retailer.  This article is from her blog ‘Life – and everything else’ where you’ll find an eclectic mix of articles and information.

 This Feng Shui information is general for everybody. However, there are deeper levels of Feng Shui which take into account you and your specific business or home environment. 

 If you would like to find out more about living in harmony with your environment, using energy to your advantage and Date Selection or Numerology analysis of your name or business name, contact Jackie Notman on 07920 461574 or through her website www.fs168.co.uk

WANT TO PUBLISH THIS ARTICLE?
You have permission to publish this article as long as the tagline (above) with links is included and no changes are made to the article. A courtesy copy of your publication or link would be appreciated.

I Ching astrology – part 4

To make sense of I Ching astrology part 4 you’ll need to review my previous articles:

Energy cycles – the Feng Shui way

I Ching astrology – part 1

I Ching astrology – part 2

I Ching astrology – part 3

So far, we’ve looked at the trigrams which are the fundamental energy building blocks of our world and the cycles that they go through.  We’ve also applied these building blocks to part of ourselves, based on our date of birth.  In I Ching astrology – part 1 we looked at your birth star which is your inherent energy.  In I Ching astrology – part 2 we looked at your inner star which reveals your deeper nature and emotions.  In I Ching astrology – part 3 we looked at your outer star which reveals other people’s perceptions of you, face you show to the world and your aspirations. 

So now you have your three stars which we’ve looked at individually.  Now it’s time to put them together to see what pictures we can get. 

There are many combinations of these three stars and, rather than go through each one individually (or show you the picture) I’m going to show you how to form the picture yourself.  The key comes from understanding a certain attribute of each of the nine stars: the family member.

We’ve already discussed the family member attributes in I Ching astrology – part 1 which you can review again in more detail.  Here is a quick reference:

1 Water	Middle son
2 Earth	Mother
3 Thunder	Eldest son
4 Wind	Eldest daughter
5 Tai Chi	Centre
6 Heaven	Father
7 Lake	Youngest daughter
8 Mountain	Youngest son
9 Fire	Middle daughter

Now we look at how the three stars relate to each other.

Example 1 – 142

This person comes across as being responsible, caring – a type of mother figure and that is picked up by others who try to put this person into that role (2 Earth/Mother as outer star).  The flexible nature of this person (1 Water/Middle Son as birth star) accepts this to a certain extent and is happy to keep the peace.  However, 2 Earth stars do like to be recognised for the roles they play and, if things get a bit stressful or people are taking advantage they are likely to just walk away from the situation (4 Wind/Middle Daughter as inner star). However, they won’t be gone for long because the 1 Water star likes to find an amicable solution to every problem – they are a natural peacekeeper.  So, discussions will be held and things will move on as the 4 Wind star bears no grudges and always looks forward.

Example 2 – 894

This person is considered a bit of a loner and an individual.  The 4 Wind as outer star sees them going off and doing their own thing and the 8 Mountain as birth star also signifies contentment with their own company.  This person has the curiosity of the eldest daughter (4 Wind) and the intelligence of the youngest son (8 Mountain).  An 894 is hard to get to know but, if you do you will see a passion that is not always apparent.  This is the 9 Fire inner star.  Put fire and mountain together and you get a volcano.

Example 3 – 353

Here we have an extremely energetic and creative person.  A 353 has double 3 Thunder so what you see (outer star) is what you get (birth star).  The 5 inner star not only gives a commanding presence to this person but it also exaggerates the other stars so we have even more thunder.  This person is very much the eldest son: forthright, passionate, creative, rash, impulsive and spontaneous.  They can be exciting to be with, they can be tiring to be with and they can irritate the hell out of you (depending on your stars).  However, life will always be interesting with a 353.

Now it’s your turn.  Consider your numbers.  How do they fit together?  Do your stars complement or contradict each other?

This is the fourth part of your I Ching astrology and you now know your three stars and have an insight into your character.  In the fifth and final part we are going to look at the relationships between people based on their stars and also the process of date selection: matching people’s stars with the stars for the day, month and year to find the best energy for travel, marriage, business, relocation etc.

Jackie Notman is a copywriter, feng shui consultant and e-commerce retailer.  This article is from her blog ‘Life – and everything else’ where you’ll find an eclectic mix of articles and information.

This Feng Shui information is general for everybody. However, there are deeper levels of Feng Shui which take into account you and your specific business or home environment. 

 If you would like to find out more about living in harmony with your environment, using energy to your advantage and Date Selection or Numerology analysis of your name or business name, contact Jackie Notman on 07920 461574 or through her website www.fs168.co.uk

WANT TO PUBLISH THIS ARTICLE?
You have permission to publish this article as long as the tagline (above) with links is included and no changes are made to the article. A courtesy copy of your publication or link would be appreciated.

I Ching astrology – part 3

To make sense of I Ching astrology part 3 you’ll need to review my previous articles:

Energy cycles – the Feng Shui way

I Ching astrology – part 1

I Ching astrology – part 2

So far, we’ve looked at the trigrams which are the fundamental energy building blocks of our world and the cycles that they go through.  We’ve also applied these building blocks to part of ourselves, based on our date of birth.  In I Ching astrology – part 1 we looked at your birth star which is your inherent energy.  In I Ching astrology – part 2 we looked at your inner star which reveals your deeper nature and emotions.  In this article we are going to look at the third and final star which is known as your Outer Star or Energetic Number.

Your outer star reflects the face you show to the world and how people perceive you.  It tells us how you communicate with the outside world and also gives us clues about your hopes, aspirations or what you may be capable of achieving.

Your outer star is calculated from combining your inner star with the Lo Shu table (this is a table used in Feng Shui and is also called a Magic Square or Square of Saturn).  Rather than take up time with this calculation the table below is a quick reference guide for you which details all three stars: birth, inner and outer.  Find your birth star in the first column and then move along the row until you reach the correct month column.  (Remember that you may be using the preceding month if your birthday is close to the beginning of the month – see I Ching astrology – part 2 for exact dates.) 

Month→	FEB	MAR	APR	MAY	JUN	JUL	AUG	SEP	OCT	NOV	DEC	JAN
Year ↓
1 WATER	187	178	169	151	142	133	124	115	196	187	178	169
2 EARTH	225	216	297	288	279	261	252	243	234	225	216	297
3 THUNDER	353	344	335	326	317	398	389	371	362	353	344	335
4 WIND	481	472	463	454	445	436	427	418	499	481	472	463
5 T’AI CHI	528	519	591	582	573	564	555	546	537	528	519	591
6 HEAVEN	656	647	638	629	611	692	683	674	665	656	647	638
7 LAKE	784	775	766	757	748	739	721	712	793	784	775	766
8 MOUNTAIN	822	813	894	885	876	867	858	849	831	822	813	894
9 FIRE	959	941	932	923	914	995	986	977	968	959	941	932

Now that you have all three numbers but for this article we are just focussing on the outer star or last number:

1 Water

Water flows and, if it gets blocked one way it will go another route.  Like water your nature is flexible and adaptable: change is not a problem for you.  We can experience water in many different ways: a soft misty shower or a torrid raging waterfall and your energy is just as changeable.  Water also represents the subconscious and the unknown.  People don’t always know what you are thinking and you may often surprise them with your reactions.

2 Earth

Earth is also the mother trigram.  People trust you and feel secure with you.  You’re a shoulder to cry on and someone to confide in.  And you do all of that very well: being of service is part of your nature.  However, people often forget that you may need support from others and, if you let them, they may unwittingly take advantage of you.  Therefore you may have to set boundaries at times.

3 Thunder

People certainly know when you’re around.  Your energy is tangible and, however hard you try, there is no way you can make a quiet entrance.  Your loud, impulsive behaviour can irritate some of the quieter stars.  However, for others you are pure inspiration and certainly get things moving and they welcome your vitality and often just follow behind you in the energy stream you create.

4 Wind

Like the wind others sometimes find it very hard to grasp you.  You have an elusive, almost ethereal quality.  Although others may see this as unreliable, or worry about your unpredictability, you do have a strong intuition and will always be in the right place at the right time.  To improve your relationships with other stars remember that they don’t have your qualities and try to communicate a little more.

5 Tai Chi

You attract people very much like the central palace that is your star.  People will gravitate towards you and may even be humbled in your presence.  You just have an air of authority about you: it isn’t put on or made up – it is just you.  The 5 tai chi also has the effect of doubling the energies of your first two stars and exaggerating their characteristics.  You will probably aggravate any star that has an ego problem but just ensure that you don’t take your natural charisma and authority for granted and become too domineering or bossy.

6 Heaven

You’ll always arrive early for any meeting and latecomers may see you checking your watch and tutting as they arrive.  People perceive you as being responsible, knowing the detail and being focused.  Some people may call you a perfectionist, others a jobsworth.  However, they’re happy to be on the same team with you if there are deadlines to be met and goals to be achieved.

7 Lake

You make the effort to be well dressed, groomed and sociable.  You’re an ideal host who will make anyone feel comfortable whatever the occasion.  People will like you, partly because you are a good listener and we all like to talk about ourselves but also because you’re fun and light-hearted.  Others may view you as superficial purely because you skim across subjects that aren’t much fun or that may dampen the mood.  And, if you are forced into a deep and meaningful conversation where you can’t be the social butterfly you are likely to walk away – it’s just not your scene.

8 Mountain

As a strong, silent type you may not be the life and soul of the party but you take everything in and respond when necessary.  You like to observe and people may call you quiet or reserved.  However, this reticence is not about shyness.  When an answer is required you usually have a very astute one to give.  People do not often see your emotions unless you are stirred into action, usually by a sense of unfairness or injustice.  Then they will see the mountain has a passionate heart.

9 Fire

You sizzle.  Probably wearing the loudest, most colourful outfit you will always be noticed when you walk into a room.  It may be your physical appearance, your loud voice or laugh or just the energy crackling around you.  People will view you as a bit of a fire cracker and the quieter stars may find you a touch too blingy.  The only thing you have to worry about is sustaining your energy.  You need others to support you otherwise you could burn yourself out.

This is the third part of your I Ching astrology and you now know your three stars.  In the next part we are going to look at how they interact with each other.

Jackie Notman is a copywriter, feng shui consultant and e-commerce retailer.  This article is from her blog ‘Life – and everything else’ where you’ll find an eclectic mix of articles and information.

 This Feng Shui information is general for everybody. However, there are deeper levels of Feng Shui which take into account you and your specific business or home environment. 

 If you would like to find out more about living in harmony with your environment, and using energy to your advantage, contact Jackie Notman on 07920 461574 or through her website www.fs168.co.uk

WANT TO PUBLISH THIS ARTICLE?
You have permission to publish this article as long as the tagline (above) with links is included and no changes are made to the article. A courtesy copy of your publication or link would be appreciated.

I Ching astrology – part 2

To make sense of I Ching astrology part 2 you’ll need to review my previous articles:

Energy cycles – the Feng Shui way

I Ching astrology – part 1

So far, we’ve looked at the trigrams which are the fundamental energy building blocks of our world and the cycles that they go through.  We’ve also applied these building blocks to part of ourselves, based on our date of birth.  In I Ching astrology – part 1 we looked at your birth star which is your inherent energy.  In this article we are going to delve a little deeper and look at the second star which is known as your Inner Star or Character Number.

Your inner star reflects the emotional you: your deeper nature which is often hidden from the world and often from ourselves.  It is very much the primal you, what is shown under pressure, when no one else is around or anytime you feel that you don’t have to put on your ‘outside persona’.  Children tend to portray their inner star before their birth star: before opinions, judgement and consideration of others.  Children are just honest about their feelings and this is their inner star.

Your inner star is based on your month of birth.  To calculate it you will need to know your birth star number so, if you haven’t already done so, review I Ching astrology – part 1 and come back to this article when you have your birth star.

Now take a look at the table below.  You will find your birth star in one of the three columns to the right.  Move down that column until you’re on the same row as your birth month in the column on the left (Note the dates that the months start – you may need to go to the month before if you were born at the beginning of a month). The number you have is your inner star.

Birth star → Birth date ↓	1 or 4 or 7	5 or 2 or 8	3 or 6 or 9
Feb 4th – Mar 5th	8	2	5
Mar 6th – Apr 5th	7	1	4
Apr 6th – May 5th	6	9	3
May 6th – Jun 5th	5	8	2
Jun 6th – Jul 7th	4	7	1
Jul 8th – Aug 7th	3	6	9
Aug 8th – Sep 7th	2	5	8
Sep 8th – Oct 8th	1	4	7
Oct 9th – Nov 7th	9	3	6
Nov 8th – Dec 7th	8	2	5
Dec 8th – Jan 5th	7	1	4
Jan 6th – Feb 3rd	6	9	3

Now that you’ve found your inner star let’s have a look at you:

1 Water

‘Still waters run deep’ is an apt phrase for this star and many people can’t fathom you which gives you an elusive quality.  You don’t wear your heart on your sleeve but there is a lot going on under the surface and a passionate nature occasionally breaks through.  As a child you would have been extremely sensitive and taken things to heart.  As an adult this inner star will see you trying to find the easiest option out of situations which may mean going against your inherent nature to placate others.

2 Earth

Service to others is key for you.  You are helpful, dependable and your feet are firmly on the ground.  You want everybody to benefit.  Even as a child you would have been happy to share your toys and do your chores.  However, you do like to be appreciated for what you do and, although you bounce back pretty quickly you can have episodes of frustration where you can’t understand why people don’t just get along!

3 Thunder

The grass certainly never grows under your feet.  You have a tangible energy which can take other people along with you or scare them off.  As a child you would have lived in a noisy household – usually caused by you.  Like thunder there would have been explosions and very likely these have carried over into your adult life.  If you could haul all that energy together and focus it like a laser towards your goals you would be much more productive.

4 Wind

You pick up easily on the energy around you: from your environment and other people.  If somebody else is upset you will be upset too.  You are very open and trusting and adapt to new situations easily.  As a child you would have enjoyed your first day at school although if your parents took you and they were emotional you may have been upset too – for a few moments anyway.  Thinking with your heart rather than head you can be impetuous, make off the cuff decisions and have knee jerk reactions.  Counting to ten at times like these may help.

5 Tai Chi

The Tai Chi is the centre and you are very much the centre of your universe.  As a child that may have meant that you were very influential in the household or had a big group of friends that looked up to you.  At times of stress you still expect to take that central position, which is fine, but try not to let that feeling turn into dominance or bullying.  Having the 5 Tai Chi as your inner star also exaggerates the characteristics of your birth star and your outer star which will be covered in the next article in this series.

6 Heaven

The energy of this star gives you an air of authority and, even at a young age people might have commented that you ‘had an old head on young shoulders’.  Your opinions would have formed early and you were confident to share them with others.  You are a perfectionist which, at stressful times, will make you highly critical of yourself and picky with others.  It’s important to get some balance in your life and loosen up sometimes.  Try doing something just for fun.

7 Lake

You appeared laid back and easy going and people find it relaxing to be around you.  As a child you may have been nagged for being lazy or not taking an interest but really this was just the way you view the world – why sweat over the small stuff?  As an adult this lack of attention to detail can provoke periods of frustration, usually from others.  At times like this it’s important to listen to others and accept that everyone doesn’t see the world the way that you do.

8 Mountain

Strong and silent you watch, form opinions and judge.  Fairness is important to you.  You would have been a quiet, thoughtful child probably coming out with a blinder of a question that would have surprised the adults around you.  You have confidence in your own thoughts and don’t follow the crowd.  At times of stress now you retreat.  You have a hard shell that you can pull around you and others can’t find a way in unless you open up a little.

9 Fire

Fire is all about creativity and you have it by the bucket loads.  But, like most creative people, your emotions do act like a bit of a roller coaster.  As a child you would have been loving and acted the fool: partly to cheer people up and partly because you like to be the focus of attention.  As an adult you often start things but lose enthusiasm, especially if a project hits that hard phase which all projects do.  One push and you move forwards but you may just jack it in and go and do something else instead.

This is the second part of your I Ching astrology.  In the next part we are going to look at your outer star which will add other aspects and nuances to your birth and inner stars.

Jackie Notman is a copywriter, feng shui consultant and e-commerce retailer.  This article is from her blog ‘Life – and everything else’ where you’ll find an eclectic mix of articles and information.

 This Feng Shui information is general for everybody. However, there are deeper levels of Feng Shui which take into account you and your specific business or home environment. 

 If you would like to find out more about living in harmony with your environment, and using energy to your advantage, contact Jackie Notman on 07920 461574 or through her website www.fs168.co.uk

WANT TO PUBLISH THIS ARTICLE?
You have permission to publish this article as long as the tagline (above) with links is included and no changes are made to the article. A courtesy copy of your publication or link would be appreciated.

Anti-war? Pro-peace? What’s the difference?

On Sunday the 14^th August 2011 a peace rally was held in Birmingham, UK in response to the previous week’s riots and the tragic deaths of three young men trying to protect a shop from looters.

The same week in London people pulled together to clean up their community after similar riots.

During these riots, and since, there has been a lot of anger focused on those who took part.  Unfortunately focus and energy (in the form of anger in this case) fuelled the emotions of rioters and their actions spread across the country like wild fire. 

Those who have been arrested will go through the justice system.  However, if we can take anything from what has happened this week it is to direct our energy towards the right place: to our communities and to peace. By doing so we feed and strengthen the right emotions and starve the wrong ones.

There’s an ancient myth of the two beasts which I quoted in my article The Beast Inside:

A young man is visiting the wise Elder of the village.  The young man is often frustrated that his life is not more successful and that he does not have the life that he wants to have.  His frustration often turns into anger and he feels life is futile.

He asks the wise Elder how he should live his life and how he can have the same contentment that the Elder has.

‘I live with two beasts inside me’ the wise Elder says.

‘One is angry, vicious, vindictive, opinionated and distrustful.  The other is non judgemental, calm, kind and expects nothing of others.  Each day these two beasts fight each other.’

The young man asks ‘Which one wins?’

The wise elder studies the young man before replying.  ‘The one I choose to feed.’

There is a huge difference between anti-war and pro-peace demonstrations.  And the difference is one of emotion which gives energy to wherever we are focusing that emotion.

Mother Teresa said:

‘I was once asked why I don’t participate in anti-war demonstrations. I said that I will never do that, but as soon as you have a pro-peace rally, I’ll be there.’

Jackie Notman is a copywriter, feng shui consultant and e-commerce retailer.  This article is from her blog ‘Life – and everything else’ where you’ll find an eclectic mix of articles and information.

WANT TO PUBLISH THIS ARTICLE?
You have permission to publish this article as long as the tagline (above) with links is included and no changes are made to the article. A courtesy copy of your publication or link would be appreciated.

I Ching astrology – part 1

In my previous article ’Energy cycles – the Feng Shui way’ we looked at the trigrams which are the fundamental energy building blocks of our world and the cycles that they go through.  In this article we are going to look at how these same building blocks can be applied to each of us individually in what’s called I Ching Astrology.

Also known as 9 Star Astrology or 9 Star Ki the source of this type of astrology is lost in time but one theory is that it was originally based on the seven stars of the Big Dipper constellation and the two stars that form its handle.

As with all types of astrology, I Ching astrology is based on your date of birth.  This date will give you three stars that are descriptive of your character, your strengths and weaknesses, your relationships with others, can advise on the best days to perform certain activities and also explain how you interact with the universal energy cycles described in my previous article.

To make it easier to follow, all eight trigrams and the Tai Chi centre have been numbered from 1 – 9:

1 Water (Middle Son)

2 Earth (Mother)

3 Thunder (Eldest Son)

4 Wind (Eldest Daughter)

6 Heaven (Father)

7 Lake (Youngest Daughter)

8 Mountain (Youngest Son)

9 Fire (Middle Daughter)

5 Tai Chi (Centre) - No Trigram

 
In Part 1 of this series we are going to look at the first star which is known as your Birth Star or Principal Number.

Your birth star is based on the year you were born and describes your inherent energy: slice you open and your core will be what is reflected in your Birth Star.  When you are young the qualities of your birth star may not always be apparent.  It’s an energy we often grown into but, irrespective of your upbringing, education, friends and family, it is your essence.

How to calculate your birth star

The calculation is quite simple but, to make it even easier, the table below will show you your birth star.  The only thing you have to remember is that, like many other things in Feng Shui, I Ching Astrology stars the year on 4^th February so, if your birthday is between 1^st January and 3^rd February you should take the star of the year before.

All you do is find your year on the table below and the corresponding number on the top row is your birth star.  For example, if you were born on the 1^st June 1974 your birth star would be 8.  However, if you were born on the 22^nd January 1974 your birth star would be 9 because it is prior to the 4^th February and the star for 1973 is taken.

Star →	9	8	7	6	5	4	3	2	1
Year after 4th Feb ↓	1928	1929	1930	1931	1932	1933	1934	1935	1936
	1937	1938	1939	1940	1941	1942	1943	1944	1945
	1946	1947	1948	1949	1950	1951	1952	1953	1954
	1955	1956	1957	1958	1959	1960	1961	1962	1963
	1964	1965	1966	1967	1968	1969	1970	1971	1972
	1973	1974	1975	1976	1977	1978	1979	1980	1981
	1982	1983	1984	1985	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990
	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999
	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008
	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017

Now you’ve found your star let’s see what it means.  The characteristics of each star are very closely linked to the characteristics of the corresponding trigram as detailed in my previous article.

1 Water

The middle son plays the role of peacemaker and arbitrator.  Water is its governing element so flexibility is a key strength and also the ability to blend in and be all things to all people.  If you’re a 1 Water you’ll have no problem fitting in with most situations and understanding what people want.  Your intuition is strong and you’ll always attempt to negotiate a win-win situation for all.  You don’t like conflict but you’ll attempt to sort it out if necessary and you definitely don’t like rules and controls over your life.

2 Earth

This is the mother energy.  Nurturing and caring for others, often at your own expense, shows a grounded energy.  People feel secure with you, trust you and know they’ll be looked after.  Service to others is important to you.  Dependable may sound a little unexciting but you’re a calm oasis when things get rough outside.  You can turn your hand to most things, do what has to be done to get the job done and your energy is strong and consistent.  Earth is your governing element which keeps your feet firmly on the ground.

3 Thunder

The energy of the eldest son is impetuous and fearless.  You can switch from being creative to destructive and the amount of energy you have is legend. For your friends and family, what you see is what you get.  You’re straight forward and straight speaking.  Once you connect with something your passion drives you and may sometimes cloud your judgement.  Sometimes you also need to know when to let things go.  Wood is your governing element so movement and growth is important to you.

4 Wind

Have you ever tried to grasp the wind and hold onto it?  The energy of the eldest daughter is hard to pin down.  There is a responsible side to you and sometimes you like to nurture but then, when the fancy takes you, things can be dropped and you’re off somewhere else.  Your curiosity takes you to new places and new directions.  This comes from the wood element that governs you.  You love change and have just as much fearlessness and energy as the 3 Thunder star but it’s less focussed.  You can be emotional and you can be fickle but you rarely take things to heart.

5 Tai Chi

As the centre you have a charisma that draws others to you.  Being in the centre can make you self centred and your confident nature puts you very firmly in control.  Earth is your governing element which gives you a tenacity and determination to achieve your goals.  Whether you are the manager, the spokesperson, the team captain or the supervisor you will be all these things and take on central roles with ease.

6 Heaven

Here we have the father.  As a 6 heaven you will automatically take responsibility for situations, circumstances and people.  You have an authoritarian air about you which can be charismatic or can be jobsworthy.  You’re pragmatic, rational and straightforward.  With a strong yang energy your focus and clarity is sharp which is supported by your governing element of metal.  Although not as charismatic as the 5 Tai Chi you do have leadership ability that can be developed.

7 Lake

The youngest daughter is all about fun, relaxation and looking at the lighter side of life.  You’re sociable, like to be with people and look good.  Some people would dismiss you as shallow but that’s not correct because the flair you have for communicating with people and expressing yourself is an important strength.  You can make people smile and that’s a good talent to have.

8 Mountain

The youngest son is extremely independent and, at times, uncommunicative.  You prefer your own company and certainly need solitude to keep you going.  You are governed by the element of earth which, combined with the mountain, is extremely grounded.  In fact so grounded that stubborn may be a better word to use.  Inside you there is a revolutionary trying to get out.  You want to break new ground but, if you do it will be a solo effort rather than a team enterprise.

9 Fire

Finally we have the middle daughter.  A 9 fire is sparky and certainly can’t hide themselves away – as if they’d want to!  Street wise, enlightened, inspiring and expressive, you are happy to blow your own trumpet but too much focus on this brings pride into the equation.  Once people have met you, you will be remembered.

This is the first part of your I Ching astrology.  In the next part we are going to look at your inner star which will add other aspects and nuances to your birth star.

Jackie Notman is a copywriter, feng shui consultant and e-commerce retailer.  This article is from her blog ‘Life – and everything else’ where you’ll find an eclectic mix of articles and information.

 This Feng Shui information is general for everybody. However, there are deeper levels of Feng Shui which take into account you and your specific business or home environment. 

 If you would like to find out more about living in harmony with your environment, and using energy to your advantage, contact Jackie Notman on 07920 461574 or through her website www.fs168.co.uk

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You have permission to publish this article as long as the tagline (above) with links is included and no changes are made to the article. A courtesy copy of your publication or link would be appreciated.

Energy cycles – the Feng Shui way

Like many other cultures, the ancient Chinese studied the stars, the earth, the patterns and cycles of nature and concluded, amongst other things, that things happen in cycles.  Once they knew the cycles they could predict what may be likely to happen in the future because, given similar circumstances, it had already happened in the past.

They also understand a maxim that is currently used: ‘As above, So below’ where the cycles of the universe are duplicated on a smaller scale in man – the macrocosm into the microcosm.  Therefore knowledge of these cycles can be applied to our individual lives.

The other aspect of these cycles is that they are eminently simple.  Our world is made up of two opposing forces – yin and yang.  Yin is the feminine, soft and diffuse energy whereas yang is the masculine, hard and focussed energy.  The two meet, each attempting to gain balance so there is never stillness.  Life is movement.  This dance of yin and yang is split into eight phases and shown in symbols known as trigrams.  Each trigram consists of three lines and each line is either yin or yang.  And so we have our building blocks of energy that create everything because everything contains a portion of yin energy and a portion of yang energy.

The I Ching is an ancient Chinese text, also known as The Book of Changes, which describes this energy dance between yin and yang. ( A Guide to the I Ching)
By combining each of the eight trigrams with each other it subdivides the phases of energy into 64 hexagrams.  Best known as a divination tool the I Ching is also used in Feng Shui when analysing the energy in homes and workplaces.

However, for the purposes of this article, we are sticking with the eight basic energy blocks, the trigrams, and how we can use that information to understand the changing energy of our environment.  Each trigram has been given a beautiful descriptive name.  it’s important to remember that this name describes the essence of what it is rather than the thing itself.  If you’re not sure what I mean by that you’ll get the picture as we look at each trigram:

Heaven

This is all yang (denoted by three unbroken lines) and is also known as Father.  Heaven or Father we view as being responsible, wise, strong and focussed.  In this energy we can gain focus, wisdom, authority and leadership.

Earth

This is all yin (denoted by three broken lines) and is also known as Mother.  Earth and Mother is nurturing, yielding, understanding and forgiving.  In this energy we can tap into our intuition and focus on the emotional and softer side of our character.

Thunder

Also known as eldest son, there is still a lot of yang in this energy but some yin is showing up too.  We think of thunder as being a strong natural force that happens quickly and intensely.  This energy allows us to explore and find new things.  It can be creative or destructive.

Wind

Also known as eldest daughter.  This energy is mainly yin with some yang.  If you think of the wind it’s hard to grasp and contain.  It will go where it wants, may be hard or soft and change very quickly.  A wind energy is as creative as thunder but more fickle.

Water

This is middle son and is balanced between yin and yang with just a little more emphasis on the yang.  Water can both destroy life with its force and nurture it as a life sustaining substance.  Water energy is, above everything else, flexible.  It can be many things to many people and is strongly tied to our subconscious.

Fire

The opposite of water, fire is the middle daughter.  And like water, the ultimate fire symbol – the sun can be either life destroying or sustaining.  Fire is hot, fast and illuminating.

Mountain

This is the youngest son who doesn’t have the inclination to tread new ground as his eldest brother.  The mountain is solid, immoveable and strong.  Sometimes that’s good, sometimes it’s stubbornness.  We go to mountains to retreat, either in a cave or on the summit where we can be a spectator of life rather than take part.

Lake

And finally the youngest daughter.  The lake is a playful, relaxing energy.  The youngest daughter doesn’t have to help with the chores or be a substitute mother like her eldest sister.  She can just relax and enjoy life and that is what the lake energy is all about.

Now you know the different types of energy, how do you use that information?  Well, each year is governed by a trigram.  As I write this in 2011 this year is a Lake year.  That means the underlying energy is a relaxing one: a time to recover from the harder energy of the previous year and take stock.  Of course, one type of energy for a whole year is not particularly realistic especially, as we know, energy is constantly changing.

Within that year, each month will be governed by a trigram.  Again as I write this on the 8^th August 2011 we have just gone into an Earth month.  So, although the underlying theme or energy for the year is relaxed, this month until the 7^th September has a nurturing, grounded energy, albeit in a relaxed way.

You’ll probably say that things change for you daily.  So you won’t be surprised to know that each day is also governed by a trigram: wheels within wheels and cycles within cycles.  Today is a Tai Chi day.

If you’re paying attention at this stage you’ll notice something missing.  There isn’t a Tai Chi trigram.  That’s because the Tai Chi is the centre of a wheel with all the eight trigrams radiating out from it.  Hence a tai chi day is about coming back to the centre, taking stock and grounding before going off again.  So, today the energy encourages us to take stock with our minds on nurturing or relationships but in a relaxed frame of mind.

Of course, you can choose to live your day today in harmony with that energy or fight against it.  The aim with Feng Shui is to harmonise our lives with the energetic world around us so this knowledge is useful and effective if you choose to use it.  To keep up to date with these daily energy cycles you can join my Facebook page.

The next article in this series explains how we use the same system for our personal astrology – starting with your birth star.

The information in this article has been provided to inform you about the general energy cycles that are all around us.  As with everything in Feng Shui there are deeper layers and the next layer we can look at on this subject is how your inherent energy interacts with this energetic world.

Jackie Notman is a copywriter, feng shui consultant and e-commerce retailer.  This article is from her blog ‘Life – and everything else’ where you’ll find an eclectic mix of articles and information.

 This Feng Shui information is general for everybody. However, there are deeper levels of Feng Shui which take into account you and your specific business or home environment. 

 If you would like to find out more about living in harmony with your environment, and using energy to your advantage, contact Jackie Notman on 07920 461574 or through her website www.fs168.co.uk

WANT TO PUBLISH THIS ARTICLE?
You have permission to publish this article as long as the tagline (above) with links is included and no changes are made to the article. A courtesy copy of your publication or link would be appreciated.

Science – myopia or something else?

Fresh Winds is a UK based charity that offers energy healing.  The Charity has just been awarded a £200,000 Lottery grant to carry out research in conjunction with Birmingham University and the NHS Good Hope hospital in Sutton Coldfield.  The research will focus on the effects of using energy healing on patients with bowel conditions.

The decision to allow this grant has been strongly criticised by scientist and doctors on the basis that benefits from energy healing is unproven and therefore should not be granted public money.  Some have gone so far to call energy healing ‘voodoo’.

On the basis of such a remark I would brand such naysayers as short sighted: if they knew anything about either energy healing or voodoo they may draw a comparison that both work in the energetic field but nothing else.

And, at the end of the day, the point of this research project is to provide evidence that energy healing either does or does not have an effect which is the evidence they are asking for.

But scientists and doctors are clever people.  Surely their comments cannot be down to ignorance?  Of course, if energy healing was proven to have benefits then we wouldn’t need to pump so many people full of drugs and then other drugs to manage the side effects of the original drugs from drug companies who fund scientists and ‘thank’ doctors for prescribing their drugs.

So, I’ll ask again: surely such comments from scientist and doctors can’t be down to ignorance?

Go Feng Shui yourself

Feng Shui is most often discussed in terms of our environment: our homes, our workplaces and our gardens or outside spaces.  We, as energetic beings, interact with the energy of our environment.

There’s no doubt in my mind that, by applying Feng Shui knowledge, we can ensure a harmonious space in which to exist.

However, there is another aspect of Feng Shui which is often overlooked.  If you’ve read any of my other articles on Feng Shui you will know that I talk of layers: we can view everything fairly superficially to begin with and then delve deeper into another layer and another layer until we find the perfect environment for us at that time.  Another way to use layers in Feng Shui is to think of the environment as one layer, time as another layer and ourselves as layer too.  After all, if we Feng Shui the space we’re in shouldn’t we Feng Shui ourselves too?

So, how do you Feng Shui yourself?  It probably won’t surprise you to learn that this has many layers too.  On a superficial level we start by treating our physical body in a way that conforms to Feng Shui principles.  Feng Shui is part of the system known as Tao (The Way) which also includes macrobiotics, Chinese medicine, acupuncture, shiatsu, chi kung and tai chi.  So, we have some guidance on how and what we should nourish our body with and keep it in balance to maintain good health.

Now let’s go beyond the physical.  Feng Shui, and in fact Tao generally, is about balance.  It isn’t about achieving and holding on to a balanced state.  Instead it’s the activity or dance of energies that constantly go on with the aim of achieving balance.  This dance gives us our energy, creativity, vitality and passion.  In Feng Shui these energies can be broadly categorised into 8 segments (before slipping into more detailed layers!).  These are represented by the trigrams (three lines showing a mix of yin and yang energy) and shown on a diagram known as the Bagua (8 Palaces).

Each of these Palaces represents a category of our life: wealth, recognition, relationships, children, support, career, education and health.  It’s quite sensible to assume that, if we focus too much on one aspect of our lives that other aspects will suffer from lack of attention.  In fact, a buzz phrase in business at the moment is ‘work-life balance’ and a model used by life coaches is similar to that of the Bagua.  This clearly demonstrates that a system that is thousands of years old is as relevant today as it’s always been.

Let’s use it now to bring some balance into your life:

1. Take the 8 areas shown above and mark out of 10 your current satisfaction level (with 1 being poor and 10 being completely satisfied).  This is your benchmark and shows the areas you need to work on first.

• Wealth
• Recognition (do you get noticed for what you do?)
• Relationships (family, partners and social)
• Children (whether you want them, don’t want them, have them or not)
• Support (who’s there to listen, lend a hand or pick up the pieces if needed)
• Career (or business if self employed)
• Education (knowledge, qualifications, experience etc)
• Health

2. Now focus on the area with the lowest mark:

• Write in detail how this part of your life would look to score it a 10/10
• Go back over the detail and highlight the bits that would give you a middle score (between your original low mark and 10/10).  This will add a sense of realism to the process and provides a focus for short term goals
• Now write down at least three things that you could do that would take you closer to this reality

3. Up to now this process probably sounds like a coaching session but here’s where the Feng Shui bit comes in because you can invigorate the appropriate energy in that sector of your life that will help you to achieve the actions you have written down.  For each sector you are working on you can apply the following to your home, room or even an altar that you set up to focus on bringing your life back into balance.

• If you are working on your Wealth sector use Water in the form of dark blues and black colour, water imagery or even an indoor fountain in the south east area of your home, room or altar.
• If you are working on your Recognition sector use Wood in the form of green tones, tree imagery or houseplants in the south area of your home, room or altar.
• If you are working on your Relationship sector use Fire in the form of red tones, triangular shapes and lots of light in the south west area of your home, room or altar.
• If you are working on your Children sector use Earth in the form of neutral and yellow/brown colours, square shapes or pottery in the west area of your home, room or altar.
• If you are working on your Support sector use Earth in the form of neutral and yellow/brown colours, square shapes or pottery in the north west area of your home, room or altar.
• If you are working on your Career sector use Metal in the form of white, gold and silver colours, domed shapes or glass/chrome decoration in the north area of your home, room or altar.
• If you are working on your Education sector use Fire in the form of red tones, triangular shapes and lots of light in the north east area of your home, room or altar.
• If you are working on your Health sector use Water in the form of dark blues and black colour, water imagery or even an indoor fountain in the east area of your home, room or altar.

4. Work on one sector at a time.  Don’t try to change everything all at once as it will make the dance of energies even more erratic and balance longer to find.

5. Once you are happy to up your mark in that particular sector then start work on the next lowest scoring sector.

6. If you can, consult an accredited Feng Shui consultant to survey your home and/or workplace.  Any changes they can recommend will support your inner Feng Shui work.

Jackie Notman is a copywriter, feng shui consultant and e-commerce retailer.  This article is from her blog ‘Life – and everything else’ where you’ll find an eclectic mix of articles and information.

 This Feng Shui information is general for everybody. However, there are deeper levels of Feng Shui which take into account you and your specific business or home environment. 

 If you would like to find out more about living in harmony with your environment, and using energy to your advantage, contact Jackie Notman on 07920 461574 or through her website www.fs168.co.uk

WANT TO PUBLISH THIS ARTICLE?
You have permission to publish this article as long as the tagline (above) with links is included and no changes are made to the article. A courtesy copy of your publication or link would be appreciated.